The setback deals a blow to Neuralink's first brain implant patient, but he remains optimistic
Just four months ago, Noland Arbaugh had a circle of bones removed from his skull and paper-thin sensory tendrils slithered into his brain. A computer the size of a small stack of coins was placed on top and the hole was sealed.Paralyzed below the neck, Mr Arbaugh is the first patient to take part in the human clinical trial testing Elon Musk's Neuralink device, and his early progress has been greeted with enthusiasm.Working with engineers, Mr. Arbaugh, 30, trained computer programs to translate the firing of neurons in his brain into the act of moving a cursor up, down and around. His mastery of the cursor soon became so agile that he could challenge his stepfather to Mario Kart and play an empire-building video game late into the night.But as the weeks passed, about 85 percent of t...